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he knowes pokemon more than i know _Chapter_1163_en
Chapter 279
Chapter 1153: Sky Pillar
"So, you foresaw some great crisis, which is why you've appeared before me several times?"
Ash moved a few meters closer and asked.
At this moment, Groudon was about to reach the Hoenn Region, and Kyogre had reappeared.
He, too, had come to the Sky Pillar in an attempt to summon Rayquaza.
One could say that all three of Hoenn's ancient Pokémon were now active.
None of these three ancient deities were simple beings. In the annals of legend, their meetings always resulted in senseless, cataclysmic battles.
What message was this Disaster Pokémon trying to convey to him?
"If only Meowth were here right now..."
However, the snow-white-furred Disaster Pokémon remained calm, its blood-red eyes simply gazing quietly at Ash.
*Swoosh!*
Without a word, it leaped up, landing on a high rock nearby.
Like a gate guard, Absol looked down on them from its high perch.
"?"
Confused but impressed, Ash and Ponfo exchanged a glance and could only continue forward.
At the end of the winding stone path lay the Sky Pillar.
Directly ahead was an open stone door, leading into the pitch-black depths within.
Its grayish-brown surface was composed of orderly, prismatic rock, with many small, dark, square holes dotting its facade.
Even from several meters away, a desolate and ancient aura rushed forth, commanding respect for the towering structure.
"Who are you two?!"
At that moment, a low shout rang out.
Ash focused his gaze and saw a woman standing guard at the entrance to the Sky Pillar.
She appeared to be around twenty years old, with a pretty face, and was dressed in a rather traditional water-blue, wide-sleeved kimono.
Beside her floated a Tentacruel, eyeing them menacingly.
"The Sky Pillar is a legendary forbidden area! No one is allowed to enter without permission!" the woman in the kimono shouted, her expression serious.
"I am Ponfo of Meteor Village, and I am here to bring Lord Dragon God Emissary inside!"
Ponfo took a deep breath and spoke up.
Before coming, the Elderly Grandmother had already warned him that there would likely be someone guarding this place.
"Meteor Village?! Wow. You're one of the Draconid People!?"
The woman in the kimono's gaze widened, and she hurriedly bowed to Ponfo.
"My name is Qingzi, and I am one of the Sootopolis People assigned to guard the Sky Pillar for this half of the year~!"
She introduced herself with a smile, her expression completely changed.
"Sootopolis People?"
Ash was taken aback. First the Draconid People, and now the Sootopolis People?
"Yes. Thousands of years ago, a meteorite fell and created Meteor Falls, from which we Draconid People were born. Another meteorite created Sootopolis City, and with it came the Sootopolis People," Ponfo quickly explained to Ash.
However, as he looked at this fashionable woman before him, with her modern makeup and golden hair, her traditional kimono seemed somewhat out of place.
Unlike the Draconid People, the Sootopolis People lived in Sootopolis City and had long since abandoned the traditional customs of the Ancient Sootopolis People. They were, for all intents and purposes, modern city dwellers.
Of course, some important missions were still preserved.
Such as guarding this Sky Pillar.
"You're finally here! That's great! Now I can take a vacation and go back to Sootopolis City~!"
Qingzi said, looking quite relieved.
Among the Sootopolis People, their tradition was to randomly draw an unlucky person each year to come and guard this place.
She was this year's unlucky person.
If the Draconid People were here to take over, she could go on leave early today.
"But this little brother next to you is..."
Qingzi raised an eyebrow, looking at Ash. Her playful expression turned serious once more.
Ponfo's attire left no room for doubt, but Ash's appearance...
"This is Ash from Pallet Town. He is also the Dragon God Emissary, the trainer of legend who can fight alongside the Dragon God, Lord Rayquaza!"
Ponfo quickly made the introduction, then shot Ash a meaningful look.
"Oh, right."
Ash got the hint. He reached into his backpack and fumbled around for a moment before finally pulling out a green jade scroll.
It was the very same blank scroll he had pulled from the mouth of the Rayquaza statue back then.
"The Dragon God's Scroll?!"
Qingzi's eyes lit up as she exclaimed in a high voice.
Although she had only heard about it from her family's elders, she knew it was a small, green scroll.
The one who held this item naturally had the right to enter the Sky Pillar.
"In that case, you two may enter. I won't stop you~!"
Qingzi proactively stepped aside, clearing the way to the main gate.
She had never heard of any of her sisters who had guarded the Sky Pillar before encountering anyone trying to enter.
To think that she would be the one to witness this historic moment?!
Qingzi was extremely curious about what would happen next.
Would he really summon the Dragon God, Rayquaza, down from the sky, just as the legends say?
The Sootopolis People were not followers of Rayquaza. It was more accurate to call them guardians of the three ancient Pokémon of Hoenn, of the entire Hoenn Region.
This was especially true for the younger generation of Sootopolis People, who were disconnected from history and didn't really put much stock in such metaphysics and legends.
"No, only the Dragon God Emissary will go in. I do not have the right to enter."
Ponfo also very proactively moved to the other side of the stone door.
Seeing two pairs of eyes staring intently at him, Ash tightened his grip on the scroll and prepared to step inside.
"Oh, right! Before you go in, let me tell you about the conditions inside the tower~!"
Qingzi said rather enthusiastically.
"The Sky Pillar's height reaches straight into the sky. I don't know how many floors there are, but the top is said to be an open-air rooftop plaza. The tower itself is inhabited by many wild Pokémon of an extremely high level, completely different from the freely roaming Pokémon outside."
It seemed they even received a power boost from the Sky Pillar itself, making their strength immense.
"Also, every floor inside this tower is in a semi-crumbled state."
"Semi-crumbled?"
Ash had a look of confusion. What did that mean?
"It means that you might see what looks like a normal floor, but the moment you step on it, it could collapse at any time," Qingzi said with a serious look. "Once you fall, you'll drop to the next level down. And the floor you just broke will restore itself to its original state."
Ash was amazed. This was no longer a normal building.
He raised his head, trying to see the top from the outside.
Speaking of which, since the very top was open-air, couldn't he just fly up from the outside?
"That's the most crucial point. Within the range of the Sky Pillar, any altitude above five meters is a complete 'no-fly' zone."
It was as if a powerful Gravity move had been cast on everything. You could move normally while on the ground, but the moment you tried to fly, you would naturally sink.
Upon hearing this, Ash, still skeptical, tried to command Latias to fly straight up.
"Wuuu..."
Sure enough, at a height of about five meters, Latias seemed to lose control of its body, falling like a block of wood.
It was only when it dropped back to within five meters of the ground that it could fly again.
"Incredible..."
Ash nodded repeatedly, utterly amazed.
"Well then, I wish you good luck, Ash of Pallet Town."
"We're counting on you, Lord Dragon God Emissary!"
Finally, under the dual gaze of the Sootopolis woman and the Draconid man, Ash recalled Latias and walked into the pitch-black stone door with Pikachu.
(end of chapter)
"So, you foresaw some great crisis, which is why you've appeared before me several times?"
Ash moved a few meters closer and asked.
At this moment, Groudon was about to reach the Hoenn Region, and Kyogre had reappeared.
He, too, had come to the Sky Pillar in an attempt to summon Rayquaza.
One could say that all three of Hoenn's ancient Pokémon were now active.
None of these three ancient deities were simple beings. In the annals of legend, their meetings always resulted in senseless, cataclysmic battles.
What message was this Disaster Pokémon trying to convey to him?
"If only Meowth were here right now..."
However, the snow-white-furred Disaster Pokémon remained calm, its blood-red eyes simply gazing quietly at Ash.
*Swoosh!*
Without a word, it leaped up, landing on a high rock nearby.
Like a gate guard, Absol looked down on them from its high perch.
"?"
Confused but impressed, Ash and Ponfo exchanged a glance and could only continue forward.
At the end of the winding stone path lay the Sky Pillar.
Directly ahead was an open stone door, leading into the pitch-black depths within.
Its grayish-brown surface was composed of orderly, prismatic rock, with many small, dark, square holes dotting its facade.
Even from several meters away, a desolate and ancient aura rushed forth, commanding respect for the towering structure.
"Who are you two?!"
At that moment, a low shout rang out.
Ash focused his gaze and saw a woman standing guard at the entrance to the Sky Pillar.
She appeared to be around twenty years old, with a pretty face, and was dressed in a rather traditional water-blue, wide-sleeved kimono.
Beside her floated a Tentacruel, eyeing them menacingly.
"The Sky Pillar is a legendary forbidden area! No one is allowed to enter without permission!" the woman in the kimono shouted, her expression serious.
"I am Ponfo of Meteor Village, and I am here to bring Lord Dragon God Emissary inside!"
Ponfo took a deep breath and spoke up.
Before coming, the Elderly Grandmother had already warned him that there would likely be someone guarding this place.
"Meteor Village?! Wow. You're one of the Draconid People!?"
The woman in the kimono's gaze widened, and she hurriedly bowed to Ponfo.
"My name is Qingzi, and I am one of the Sootopolis People assigned to guard the Sky Pillar for this half of the year~!"
She introduced herself with a smile, her expression completely changed.
"Sootopolis People?"
Ash was taken aback. First the Draconid People, and now the Sootopolis People?
"Yes. Thousands of years ago, a meteorite fell and created Meteor Falls, from which we Draconid People were born. Another meteorite created Sootopolis City, and with it came the Sootopolis People," Ponfo quickly explained to Ash.
However, as he looked at this fashionable woman before him, with her modern makeup and golden hair, her traditional kimono seemed somewhat out of place.
Unlike the Draconid People, the Sootopolis People lived in Sootopolis City and had long since abandoned the traditional customs of the Ancient Sootopolis People. They were, for all intents and purposes, modern city dwellers.
Of course, some important missions were still preserved.
Such as guarding this Sky Pillar.
"You're finally here! That's great! Now I can take a vacation and go back to Sootopolis City~!"
Qingzi said, looking quite relieved.
Among the Sootopolis People, their tradition was to randomly draw an unlucky person each year to come and guard this place.
She was this year's unlucky person.
If the Draconid People were here to take over, she could go on leave early today.
"But this little brother next to you is..."
Qingzi raised an eyebrow, looking at Ash. Her playful expression turned serious once more.
Ponfo's attire left no room for doubt, but Ash's appearance...
"This is Ash from Pallet Town. He is also the Dragon God Emissary, the trainer of legend who can fight alongside the Dragon God, Lord Rayquaza!"
Ponfo quickly made the introduction, then shot Ash a meaningful look.
"Oh, right."
Ash got the hint. He reached into his backpack and fumbled around for a moment before finally pulling out a green jade scroll.
It was the very same blank scroll he had pulled from the mouth of the Rayquaza statue back then.
"The Dragon God's Scroll?!"
Qingzi's eyes lit up as she exclaimed in a high voice.
Although she had only heard about it from her family's elders, she knew it was a small, green scroll.
The one who held this item naturally had the right to enter the Sky Pillar.
"In that case, you two may enter. I won't stop you~!"
Qingzi proactively stepped aside, clearing the way to the main gate.
She had never heard of any of her sisters who had guarded the Sky Pillar before encountering anyone trying to enter.
To think that she would be the one to witness this historic moment?!
Qingzi was extremely curious about what would happen next.
Would he really summon the Dragon God, Rayquaza, down from the sky, just as the legends say?
The Sootopolis People were not followers of Rayquaza. It was more accurate to call them guardians of the three ancient Pokémon of Hoenn, of the entire Hoenn Region.
This was especially true for the younger generation of Sootopolis People, who were disconnected from history and didn't really put much stock in such metaphysics and legends.
"No, only the Dragon God Emissary will go in. I do not have the right to enter."
Ponfo also very proactively moved to the other side of the stone door.
Seeing two pairs of eyes staring intently at him, Ash tightened his grip on the scroll and prepared to step inside.
"Oh, right! Before you go in, let me tell you about the conditions inside the tower~!"
Qingzi said rather enthusiastically.
"The Sky Pillar's height reaches straight into the sky. I don't know how many floors there are, but the top is said to be an open-air rooftop plaza. The tower itself is inhabited by many wild Pokémon of an extremely high level, completely different from the freely roaming Pokémon outside."
It seemed they even received a power boost from the Sky Pillar itself, making their strength immense.
"Also, every floor inside this tower is in a semi-crumbled state."
"Semi-crumbled?"
Ash had a look of confusion. What did that mean?
"It means that you might see what looks like a normal floor, but the moment you step on it, it could collapse at any time," Qingzi said with a serious look. "Once you fall, you'll drop to the next level down. And the floor you just broke will restore itself to its original state."
Ash was amazed. This was no longer a normal building.
He raised his head, trying to see the top from the outside.
Speaking of which, since the very top was open-air, couldn't he just fly up from the outside?
"That's the most crucial point. Within the range of the Sky Pillar, any altitude above five meters is a complete 'no-fly' zone."
It was as if a powerful Gravity move had been cast on everything. You could move normally while on the ground, but the moment you tried to fly, you would naturally sink.
Upon hearing this, Ash, still skeptical, tried to command Latias to fly straight up.
"Wuuu..."
Sure enough, at a height of about five meters, Latias seemed to lose control of its body, falling like a block of wood.
It was only when it dropped back to within five meters of the ground that it could fly again.
"Incredible..."
Ash nodded repeatedly, utterly amazed.
"Well then, I wish you good luck, Ash of Pallet Town."
"We're counting on you, Lord Dragon God Emissary!"
Finally, under the dual gaze of the Sootopolis woman and the Draconid man, Ash recalled Latias and walked into the pitch-black stone door with Pikachu.
(end of chapter)
